A couple of months ago as I was waking up, I remembered it was my birthday, and then it hit me, “I was 33.” I don’t usually think much about how old I am, but 33 is BIG!
I thought 33 and went straight to Jesus. You know, the magic number we hear about? The age Jesus was when he died. And I got really bummed out, because I kept thinking, “Jesus had done so much by the time he was my age. Let’s face it, he lived, died, and rose…for everyone. What have I done?” And I started to feel kind of inadequate. 

When I looked to today’s passage from Matthew, I think I can imagine Peter feeling the same way—always a bit inadequate. You know, poor Peter, you gotta love him. He tries so hard to please Jesus, and he kind of gets a bad rap a lot of the time. Let’s look at today’s scripture passage. 

[READ SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:22-33]

 I was at a family reunion this week, and my uncle Jack wanted to know what passage I was working on. After I read it to him, he stared at me for a second, and then did this kind of laugh, that’s more of a “that’s downright unbelievable” than a “that’s funny” laugh. And he says something to the affect of, “Jesus just left them in that storm all night?” I was so glad he said that because that’s exactly what I thought too, and couldn’t get out of head! Uncle Jack and I have both lived on the ocean.  

[Show first Sitka slide]

I used to live inSitka, an island in southeastAlaska. Clay and I’s house was onGalankin Island, that smaller island, and so we would have to commute by boat every day to town. It’s only about a mile commute. 

[Second slide]

When we told people we had decided to rent a house on Galankin, typically folks first asked what kind of boat we had…it was a glorious 16 foot Bay runner open aluminum skiff…and then followed by telling horror stories of how bad the water could get, how our boat could flip, how we could freeze to death.  

By the time we had actually moved out there, I had kind of started to flip out…I mean I thought it was adventurous enough just moving to Alaska, why did we need to boat across waters everyday while big ole whales were probably underneath us? Clay, on the other hand, proceeded to educate himself on the needed equipment.    

[3^rd slide]

We were outfitted with survival suits. These are supposed extend your time in the water, should you fall in. Clay would do drills with me. While I was in the survival suit, he’d start shaking me (as if I was being tossed about in stormy waters, and I’d practice lighting a flare, blowing my whistle, and calling for help on our waterproof radio. And then we’d do it again, and again, and again…there were always water drills from time to time while we lived there.

 [4^th slide]

There was one day, we went down to dock and debated whether we should cross. It was really rough, but we’d already missed work one day that week because of the weather, so we decided to go ahead and cross. I remember the boat was being blown around at the dock so much that I had to hold onto the dock with all my strength after I had untied the stern, so when clay untied the bow, he would have time to jump into the skiff before the winds blew me and the boat away.

[5^th slide]

There were mixed seas that day, which meant the ocean swells were coming in from one way, and wind was blowing from another. It often felt like you were at the whim of the sea on these days. Because of the low weight of our skiff there was a danger of waves and wind blowing the bow up and the boat over. So we had put this heavy boom chain in the front of the bow. It kept the bow from catching the wind, but it also meant we plowed water, and in a storm such as this, waves would come over the bow and crash on us—but water was coming from all over the place. It blew off the top of the waves and was also coming from the rain, freezing what was exposed, hands and faces.  

We were almost across, trying to keep the boat at an angle, but were being pushed all around, when the boat got caught in a swell, ….and we were totally out of control. Clay was driving the boat and I was sitting facing him trying to block the spray from his eyes so he could navigate. The way he tells it, a swell lifted the boat up, and the wind somehow got underneath it. Just then another wave came along and slammed the boat back down into the water. The boat had been in the air. 

I don’t remember the details like Clay does. All I remember is my facing hurting so badly from the cold, not being able to see a thing, and then flying up in the air, only to be knocked down again. And I know I was crying. I was crying because I was scared, because I had no control. I wanted to be anywhere at that time but in that boat.   

[1^st slide of Jesus—Jacopo Tintoretto]

 I can’t listen to this story of storm without remembering my terrifying experience. Look at this slide. See the storm clouds in the background?

[2^nd slide]

Get a closer look of the disciple’s faces and the sea. Some of them look like skeletons. How long had they been holding on? 

Matthew 14:23-25 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,  ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.  

[3^rd slide]

Look at this next slide. They had been doing this for what? Half a day? I wonder if the wind picked up their bow. If there were mixed seas? I was exhausted after a 15 minute ride! They’ve had wind, rain, waves, hitting their faces. Haven’t been able to eat or drink. They must be weak and tired, holding on for dear life. I imagine, like me, they want to be anywhere but in that boat, anywhere that is, except for the sea.  

And the scripture continues:

Matthew 14:26-27 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.   

Okay. I don’t think it’s that hard of a stretch to get why the disciples think they see a ghost. Besides the fact that walking on the water is pretty amazing, I imagine they are delirious. I mean look at this picture, if I’d been in this boat for an amazing amount of time, and saw a figure walking on the water towards me, I’d think…this is it. I have died!  

[4^th slide—Jesus on water by boat]

My uncle Jack, whom I mentioned earlier, had a second question: what made Peter get out of that boat when he saw Jesus? I mean that’s the one place the disciples have for hours been trying to avoid. In my boat ride I was wearing all this stuff, all this stuff to use in case I fell overboard, but the object was to not get in the water, which seems to be the reverse of this story. 

Are these those feelings of inadequacy stirring up in Peter so he feels like he has to prove something to Jesus? Was he showing off in front of the other disciples? I mean when you really think about it, there is absolutely no reason to get out of the boat. Jesus was coming.  

We aren’t told why Peter gets out of the boat. 

Matthew 14:28-29 “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."  ²⁹ He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 

[5^th slide—Jesus holding on to Jesus]

Ah, and here it is…the infamous part of the story: 

Matthew 14:30-31 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!"  ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 

Here’s the thing. Peter gets a bum rap because he’s remembered for his doubt and not for his faith. Peter left the “comfort” of that boat, and went right where he had for hours been trying to avoid. He went into the sea. A sea that was whimsical, a sea that was dangerous, a place of utter chaos. Peter was able to climb over and out of that rocky boat because he had faith. And for this, I think Peter should be remembered.  

But what if this passage isn’t supposed to be so much about whom we are, but instead about who God is. Look at this picture. I love it. Jesus isn’t passive; he’s right in the middle of it. Peter walked into the storm, and in the storm he was met by Jesus.  

And so what does that mean for us? That Jesus is in the storm? Ready to catch us? 

Maybe it means we do mission a little differently. Instead of going out into the world to show and teach others about the love of God, we humbly walk into the world anticipating an encounter with the Risen Christ.  

Or maybe it means, because we know we are never alone, that we live differently. We live in the world, but not of the world. And so we live a life of risk proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, and not our government, or money, or education, or power, or wealth, or sex, or age, or able-bodied ness.  

Or maybe this passage simply reminds us of Christ’s faith in us, and that we are enough.  

And may it be so, that we take risks to step outside of the boat, knowing that in the storms we meet Jesus. 

Let us pray:

Gracious and loving God, we seek to be your faithful servant. We live crazy lives, and what we often yearn for is your peace and comfort. Give us the strength and courage, to step outside of ourselves, and if so called to take a chance, to risk falling, and even failing. And may we be reminded that we are never alone. That when we have the faith to step into the stormy waters, there we meet you.

Amen.